School Bus Test

The following problem solving exercise has been circulating around emails and blogs:

"In which direction is the bus pictured below traveling?" The only possible answers are "left" or "right."

Think about it.

Still don't know?

Before I tell you, we can use White Hat to figure out this problem.

What do we know?
We know what a school bus looks like.

What do we need to know?
The direction the bus is traveling

How do we find out what we need to know?
We need to think about the difference in how the bus looks when it is traveling left compared to what it looks like when it is traveling right.

The answer: The bus is traveling left.
Why do you think the bus is traveling in the left direction? Because you can't see the door.

Want to learn more about how you can use Six Thinking Hats for problem solving? Visit our website at: http://www.debonoconsulting.com/Six_Thinking_Hats.asp or call us at 800.278.1292.

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Dr. de Bono to Speak at Scottish Learning Festival

"Guru to Talk at City Festival"

CREATIVE thinking guru Dr Edward de Bono is to be a key speaker at the Scottish Learning Festival this week. The festival is the largest annual gathering of teachers, educational experts, policymakers and businesses supplying products and technology to schools and colleges. Held today and tomorrow at the SECC in Glasgow, it is expected to attract more than 5000 experts. Today, minister for education and young people Peter Peacock was outlining his plans for Scottish education. The event also incorporates more than 100 seminar sessions and a range of spotlight events.
Publication date 20/09/06

From Evening Times: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5057323.html

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Lateral Thinking in Action

A great post by a former Microsoft employee showing Lateral Thinking in action:
http://nodeglue.com/blog/drawing-a-blank-literally/


Bring Lateral Thinking to your organization!
Visit http://www.debonoconsulting.com/Lateral_Thinking_In-House_Seminars.asp or call us at 800.278.1292

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de Bono sighting in book: The Ten Faces of Innovation

On page 80 of The Ten Faces of Innovation by Tom Kelley, Kelley mentions Edward de Bono and lateral thinking while discussing the Fosbury Flop: "creativity guru Edward de Bono called it "Lateral thinking" - looking at an issue from a completely different perspective."

The Fosbury Flop was developed in 1965 by Dick Fosbury, and is the method used today by high-jumpers. The traditional style of high-jumping involved throwing one foot over, followed by leg, thigh, stomach, head and then trailing foot. Fosbury went against traditional thinking and the best advise of his coaches to develop his "flop." Fosbury went on to win an Olympic gold medal with a jump of 7' 4 1/4".

Kelley says "I can't think of a better moral for those interested in innovation. The next time someone tells you no one's done it that way before, or that it sounds like a crazy idea, ask them if they know the story of the Fosbury Flop."

To learn more about Lateral Thinking and to see our list of public Lateral Thinking events, visit our website at: http://www.debonoconsulting.com/Lateral_Thinking.asp or call us at 800.278.1292.

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"Make Innovation Work in Your Workplace"

The August 2006 issue of T+D contained an article titled "Make Innovation Work in Your Workplace" written by Jeff DeGraffis and Pete Bacevice. The article provides 7 techniques, used by Fortune 500 companies, to teach employees to be innovative.

#1: How you innovate is what you innovate.
Organizations need to understand the creative results they are trying to acheive. From there, determine which method, or combinartion of thinking methods, is suited for your company's needs.

#2: Enlist your "creativizers".
Innovators can include administrative support, line workers, or middle managers. Round up your staff members who already make innovation happen. Convene with them regularly to provide direction on where to apply innovation-focused projects.

#3: See one, do one, teach one.
Keep the innovation process rolling by developing a culture where the people with innovation potential can learn from the more experienced innovators.

#4: Show, don't tell.
Demonstrate your innovation concepts through pictures, videos, and other visuals that will engage the imagination and enable people to see a clear picture of your idea.

#5: Hide innovation inside Trojan horse projects.
Work innovative people and practices into large projects. Since failure is an inevitable outcome, this will give you the room you need to learn from your mistakes.

#6: Use the 20/80 rule and work from the outside-in.
"Launch your more radical innovation projects in the areas of your company that are in a crisis or on a roll."

#7: Leave room for discovery.
Leave room in your organization for the accidental discovery through experiments, diversity, and learning.

Read the complete article ($10 for non-ASTD members) >>>.

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New Innovation Course: Simplicity

Simplicity is Dr. Edward de Bono's newest course, based on Dr. de Bono's book "Simplicity" (1999).

What is Simplicity?

A system naturally experiences incremental changes over time that increases its complexity. You make the best of a current system by adding components as needed. Eventually, the system will become too complex and will require redesign.

As the rate of change accelerates, systems can become complex very quickly. However, no one group is responsible for reducing complexity, and not much progress is made in achieving simplicity.

Complexity bogs down progress by:

• Slowing development
• Wasting resources and dollars on inefficiency
• Increasing errors
• Causing chaos and stress
• Becoming reliant on “experts” to operate unnecessary complex systems
• Wasting time, talent, and resources

Simplicity Course Description

Simplicity is a powerful training program designed to develop highly skilled Simplicity Teams. Through a combination of fast-paced, highly interactive exercises, your team will learn 10 rules for success in making work simpler, as well as a specific process that leads to simplicity.

Participants will receive immediate feedback and coaching during job-related exercises and will complete assignments in the evening. Various Lateral Thinking techniques are incorporated into the Simplicity workshop to help your team focus on ways to remove, replace, and restructure in order to achieve Simplicity.

Simplicity Course Objectives

1. Appreciate the value that a focus on simplicity offers to an organization, its employees, vendors, clients, and stakeholders
2. Gain in-depth knowledge of the simplicity tools
3. Learn to maximize the power of each tool
4. Practice applying the Simplicity tools to real issues
5. Develop plans for creating a formal focus on simplicity in your organization

The Simplicity Team

A Simplicity Team is made up of various individuals within an organization who are formally trained in the Simplicity methods.

The Simplicity Team designates a Simplicity team leader, or organizer, who is responsible for the output of meetings and communicating this output to the people who need it. It is also helpful to have others within your organization trained in the simplicity methods, as they may be nee to work with the Simplicity Team as a subject matter or area expert.

Attend our Simplicity Seminar on September 26-27 in Kansas City, MO. Learn more >>>.

Questions? Call 800.278.1292 or visit www.deBonoConsulting.com

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Edward de Bono to Speak at the Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2006

Dr. Edward de Bono will speak at the Leaders in Dubai Business Forum on November 28 & 29. He will join General Colin L. Powell (Ret.), Michael Eisner (CEO, Walt Disney Company 1984-2005), Louis V. Gerstner Jr (Chairman, IBM 1993-2002), Her Majesty Queen Noor, CK Prahalad (author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid), and Harry S. Dent Jr (economist and investor forecaster).

Edward de Bono will discuss:

• Using the power of Lateral Thinking to change perceptions and create new ideas
• How Thinking and Creativity are skills that can be developed and improved if one knows how
• The Six Thinking Hats - A powerful method for individual and collaborative thinking
• Conflicts - A better way to resolve them!
• Why businesses will only succeed if they can create value for their customers
• Why "Effectiveness without values is like a tool without a purpose"
• Why simplicity is becoming a key value as the world around grows even more complex

For more information on the Business Forum 2006, visit http://www.leadersindubai.com

View our de Bono Public Seminars and Certification Events >>>. For more information, please call us at 800.278.1292.

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